How to register your business?

Registering your business to make it legal can be a pain in the neck because you have to go from one agency to another before you can operate.

In putting up a business, there are several government agencies you have to register with depending on the type of your business. These are the following:

For Single Proprietorship

STEP 1

Business Name Registration Certificate
Visit Department of Trade & Industry (DTI) Provincial Office or log on to www.bnrs.dti.gov.ph.
Validity: 5 years
Requirements:

• Accomplished Business Name Registration Form [Single Proprietorship/Partnership]
• Tax Identification Number (TIN)
• List of five business names ranked according to preference
• Registration fee of P 300.00

STEP 2

Mayor’s / Business Permit
Local Municipality where the business is located
Validity: 1 year
Requirements:

• Accomplished Business Permit Application Form
• DTI-Business Name Certificate
• Sketch of he business location
• Fire Safety Inspection Clearance
• Sanitary Permit (from City Health Officer)
• Barangay Clearance
• Lease Contract
• 2 pcs 2×2 colored ID picture
• Registration fee, the amount of which depends on the type of the business

STEP 3

Tax Identification Number (TIN)
Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) National Office
Agham Rd., Diliman, Quezon City
Trunkline: 981-7000; 981-8888
Email: contact_us@cctr.bir.gov.ph
Website: www.bir.gov.ph

STEP 4

Social Security System (SSS) Certificate
SSS Loans and Investment Office
SSS Building, East Avenue
Diliman, Quezon City
Tel: 920-6401; 920-6446
Email: member_relations@sss.gov.ph
Website: www.sss.gov.ph

Requirements:

• Accomplised R1 form
• DTI Business Permit
• Mayor’s Permit

STEP 5

Department of Labor and Employement (DOLE) Registration (with 5 or more employees)
DOLE-Labor Standard and Enforcement Division
2/F Dy International Bldg.
San Marcelino cor. Gen. Malvar St. ,Malate, Manila
Hotline: 527-8000 Tel: 339-2013
Email: osec@dole.gov.ph
Website: www.dole.gov.ph

Requirements:

• Accomplished Rule 1020 form
• Lay-out business location
• Vicinity Map

For Partnership

STEP 6a

Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Certificate
SEC Building, EDSA, Grenhills
Mandaluyong City
Tel: 726-0931 to 39
Email: mis@sec.gov.ph
Website: www.sec.gov.ph
Onine registration: iregister.sec.gov.ph/MainServlet

Requirements:

• Verification Slip Form (re: proposed name)
• Accomplished Registration Data Sheet
• Articles of partnership
• Written Undertaking to Change Corporation Name
• If the contributed capital is in the form of property, additional requirement is needed:
• Deed of Assignment executed by the stockholder who is the owner
• 
  

For Corporation

STEP 6b

SEC (see above address)

Requirements:

• Articles of Incorporation and Buy-laws
• Verification Slip Form (re: proposed name)
• Accomplished Registration Data Sheet
• Treasurer’s Affidavit
• Bank Certificate of Deposit
• Authority to verify bank accounts
• Written Undertaking to Change Corporation Name when necessary
• Subscribers Information Sheet
• If paid-up capital is a property, submit the following additional requirements:
  • Statement of Assets and Liabilities
  • Deed of Assignment executed by the stockholder who is the owner of the property in favor of the corporation. If the property contributed is a building or a parcel of land, the deed must be presented to the register of Deeds for registration.
  • If the property being contributed is a parcel of land, submit detailed list of the parcel of land showing the OCT/TCT numbers, registered owner, lot and block number, area, location and encumbrances, if any
• Registration fee of P360.00

Other Agencies

Depending on the type of products they manufacture or handle and on their market orientation, certain firms are required by law to register with other government agencies. The following is a list of regulatory bodies and industries / business they regulate:

a. For those engaged in the export of coconuts and coconut by-products

The Philippine Coconut Authority
Export Division
PHILCOA Bldg., Quezon Memorial Circle
Diliman, Quezon City
Tel. No. 928.4501
Email: pca_cpo@yahoo.com
Website: www.pca.da.gov.ph

b. For all manufacturers of garments and textile for exports

Garment and Textile Export Board (GTEB)
New Solid Building
4/F New Solid Bldg., 357 Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue, Makati City
Tel. No. 890.4651 to 52

c. For rice, corn and flour dealers

National Food Authority (NFA)
Regulatory Division
Matimias Building (infront of Q.I)
101 E. Rodriguez Sr. Avenue, Quezon City
Tel. No. 712.1768
Email: nfa_admin@nfa.gov.ph
Website: www.nfa.gov.ph

d. For processors and traders of fibers and fiber products.

Fiber Industry Development Authority (FIDA)
License Division
Asia Trust Bank Annex Building
1424 Quezon Avenue, Quezon City
Tel. No. 373.7495 / Fax No. 373.9244
Email: fida@pacific.net.ph
Website: www.fida.da.gov.ph

e. For those engaged in the export of fish and fish products other aquatic products.

Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR)
Licensing and Regulatory Division
860 Arcadia Building, Quezon Avenue, Quezon City
Tel. No. 372.5046
Email:info@bfar.da.gov.ph
Website: www.bfar.da.gov.ph

f. For exporters of animals and animal by-product

Bureau of Animal Industry Animal Health Division
BAI Visayas Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City
Tel. No. 928.2836 / 928.2778
Email:dir.bai@manila-online.net
Website: www.bai.da.gov.ph

Bureau of Plant Industry
692 San Andres St., Malate, Manila
Tel. No. 525.7313
Email: cu.bpi@da.gov.ph
Website: www.bpi.da.gov.ph

h. For exporters of Forest Products (e.g. logs, number products, plywood, etc.)

Bureau of Forest Development
Forest Management Bureau
Visayas Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City
Tel. No. 927.6229
Email: fmbdenr@mozcom.com
Website: www.forestry.denr.gov.ph

i. For those engaged in the production or export of flue-cured Virginia-type tobacco, Burley tobacco and Turkish/Oriental tobacco products.

Philippine Virginia Tobacco Administration
Market Development and Regulation Department
Scout Reyes Street cor., Panay Avenue
Diliman, Quezon City
Tel. No. 372.3186
Email webgroup1@da.gov.ph
Website: www.da.gov.ph

j. For commodity clearance for producers, manufacturers or exporters, whose product quality after due inspection, sampling and testing, is found to meet established standards.

DTI – Bureau of Product Standards (BPS)
3rd floor, Trade and Industry Building
361 Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue, Makati City
Tel. No. 751.0384
Email: bps@dti.dti.gov.ph
Website: www.bps.dti.gov.ph

k. For firms who want to register their patents and trademarks.

DTI-Intellectual Property Office
361 IPO Building, Sen. Gil J. Puyat
Avenue, Makati City
Tel. No. 752.5450
Email: mail@ipophil.gov.ph ; dittb@ipophil.gov.ph
Website: www.ipophil.gov.ph

l. For business interested to tie up with export oriented firms as sub-contractors/suppliers provided they fall under any of the following sectors: garments and handwoven fabrics, gifts and housewares, furniture and fixtures, footware and leather goods, fresh and processed foods and jewelry.

National Subcontractors Exchange (SUBCONEX)
12/F Trafalgar Plaza., 105 H.V. Dela Costa St.,
Salcedo Village, Makati City
Tel. No. 811.8231

m. For enterprises engaged directly or directly in the service, repair and/or maintenance of vehicles, engines and engineering works, electrical, electronics, air-conditioning and refrigeration, office machines and data processing, equipment, medical and dental equipment including the technical personnel like mechanics and technicians employed by such firms.

DTI- National Capital Region (DTI – NCR)
Ground Floor, Trade and Industry Building
361 Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue, Makati City
Tel. No. 7510.384

n. For those engaged in the production of food, drugs and cosmetic products.

Bureau of food and Drugs (BFAD)
Civic Drive, Filinvest Corporate City
Alabang, Muntinlupa City
Tel. Nos. +632-8070721 / +632-8425606
Email: bfad@bfad.gov.ph
Website: www.bfad.gov.ph

How to Start a Favor Business?

Weddings, birthdays, and parties take place everyday. Your services as a party favor specialist are in demand. Making favors or keepsakes for parties can be fun, enjoyable and profitable. As a party favor specialist for over ten years, it's not as hard as you think to get started.

Getting Started
Do you like going to parties or showers? Do color schemes excite you? If so, then this business is for you. The main idea to creating a party favor is keeping the occasion in mind. You need to be creative and have some unique ideas for each occasion. 

The key to a great favor is the quality and neatness. No one wants to hand out favors that are messy, falling apart or just down right dirty. As a favor specialist, your attention to detail is a must. All favors you create must be closely identical to each other. This is the beauty of a keepsake. They all look alike. You don't want the guest to fight over which one they want to pick up. If they all look the same, that's an excellent accomplishment.

Jumpstart your favor business today!

How to deal with clients?
Be very specific with client orders. Have clients write down their colors, the amount and all specifics name and date on an order pad. Clients are easily quieted if they see their own instructions written down. Verify spelling, date and all other pertinent information. Once tags are printed they can not be redone without incurring additional expense.

How do I make a price list?
Excellent question! What is the sense of having a business if it is not profitable? You have to make a price list and stick to it. The most efficient way to make a pricelist is to know how much your expenses are.

How to get customer recommend your business?

You may think it's impossible to get customers recommend your business.Almost everyone has their own favorite spa, salon, etc.If customers are impressed and satisfied with your service then customers will be happy to recommend your business to other people.It takes one happy customer to get a positive comment towards your business.

If your customers are impressed with your business then customers will be happy to recommend your business to other people. It is pretty simple.
You will get new clients from time to time from recommendations. It is a great way for your business to gain more profit.

I remember back in 2005 when we do retailing of construction materials where in we have a competitor who manage his business for almost 20 years while we are still newbie in the business way back then, We try to be friendly and approachable as can be and that made our satisfied customers recommend our business to their friends and relatives.We have established a good customer relation.What am i saying here? Most of the customers would like to be treated well.

No matter how good the service, if you don't have a good customer service relation the effort would not be enough. Don't look at one client as just one account that provides your company with several hundred peso more each month. Look at each client as someone that help your company get more than just several hundred peso by getting you new accounts just by their recommendations.

One day you will have more new customers than you can handle. It all goes back to making the customers happy. When you show that you care about the customers then in return they will show that they care about your company by recommendations to other people. It is important to be friendly and helpful to all customers.

Business Financial Plan

A curious thing happens to entrepreneurs in the end of every year. You wake up one day and realize you had better figure out how much money was made last year in order to pay your taxes. But wait, shouldn't a business owner already know how much money he or she made last year, last quarter, or last month? Don't wait. Develop your financial plan today.

If you don't keep track of how much money you're making, you have no idea whether your business is successful or not. You can't tell how well your marketing is working. You need to know what your net profit is. If you don't, there's no way you can know how to increase it.
To be successful in business, you need to make a financial plan and check it against the facts on a monthly basis, then take immediate action to correct any problems. Here are 8 steps you should take:

Create a Financial Plan:
Estimate how much revenue you expect to bring in each month, and project what your expenses will be. If you need it, get help from business planning books, software, or an accountant.

Review the Plan Monthly:
Even if time is taken to prepare a financial plan with profit and loss projections, it often sits in a desk drawer. It's not enough to have a plan -- you have to review it regularly.

Lost Profits Can't be Recovered:
When comparing your projections to reality and finding earnings too low or expenses too high, the conclusion often is, "I'll make it up later." The problem is that you really can't make it up later; every month profits are too low is a month that is gone forever.

Make Adjustments Right Away:
If revenues are lower than expected, increase efforts in sales and marketing or look for ways to increase your rates. If overhead costs are too high, find ways to cut back. There are other businesses like yours around. What is their secret for operating profitably?

Think Before you Spend:
When considering any new business expense, including marketing and sales activities, evaluate the increased earnings you expect to bring in against its cost before you proceed to make a purchase. You can often increase your profitability simply by delaying expenses to a later month, quarter, or year.

Don't be Afraid to Hire:
Retailers and restaurateurs wouldn't consider operating without employees, but many service businesses limit themselves by being understaffed. Almost any business can benefit from hired or contracted help. You can better use your talents for generating revenue than for running errands and filing.

Pay Yourself a Salary:
If you are incorporated, you may already be doing this. If not, allocate an amount to owner's compensation on a monthly basis. Each month that your business meets its profitability goal, pay yourself the full amount. When you miss your target, dock your "pay" and when you exceed it, pay yourself a "bonus." Writing yourself a monthly paycheck will give you a strong incentive to keep your business profitable.

It's About Profit, Not Revenue:
It doesn't matter how many thousands of peso you are bringing in each month if your expenses are almost as high, or higher. Many high-revenue businesses have gone under for this very reason -- don't be one of them.

How to name your business?

It's very important to choose the right name for your business. It can create a good first impression for customers and also provide a great foundation for building your brand.
 

You can be creative when choosing the name. However, it needs to be appropriate and work on all types of marketing material, from signage to stationery.
Avoid hard to pronounce words or irrelevant business names.

Your business name must meet certain rules relating to prescribed and sensitive words and expressions. And you must ensure it hasn't already been taken by another business.
Even if you don't want a website just yet, you should consider registering an appropriate website address - or domain name. The domain name has to be available and registered through an agent eg a website host for a small annual fee.

After deciding on a name, you should consider protecting it, for example as a trademark.
If you want to start on a sole proprietorship, you must register and check on DTI Department of Trade and Industry.
If you want to start on a partnership, you must register it with SEC Security and Exchange Commission.Like business names, your registered name must comply with rules on prescribed and sensitive words and expressions. It also has to contain required words.
Finally, Defining your product or service can help you to work out your customers' needs and generate more sales.




 

Marketing on a tight budget

How to attract, win and keep your customers

To maximise your marketing spend, you need to focus on satisfying your current customers, encouraging past customers and attracting new customers to your business. Identify your unique selling point (USP) - what's especially good about your product or service - and use it to make you stand out from the crowd.

 

Get more from your customer base

Your regular customer base is critical to your business' survival and growth, so you need to seize chances to build and maintain your relationship with them on each interaction or sale.
There are many ways to do this when on a tight budget. Think about how you communicate - for example, you should:

• talk to your customers and focus on their needs and wants
• be specific, honest and clear about what you can offer
• keep in touch - send email updates or a newsletter
• get to know your competitors and what they are offering

Think creatively about your selling techniques. For example, you could:

• encourage people to 'buy now' by offering lower prices for immediate/bulk purchases or bookings
• use coupons or e-vouchers that are easy and cheap to design and distribute
• offer gifts, free trials and tasters
• reward your customers with loyalty schemes

Make sure your staff are fully aware of your customer base, products and services and are inspired about your business.

 

Encourage referrals from existing clients

Referrals from satisfied customers endorsing your business are the best way of getting new customers. So if a client tells you they're happy with some work you have done for them, ask them to recommend you to other potential customers.
Consider offering incentives - such as a discount off their next order - for every new customer an existing client points in your direction.

 

Find new customers 

You should always be thinking about how to attract new customers. You need to:

• let potential new customers know who you are and what you offer
• aim to provide an exceptional experience on the first sale
• offer options and solutions to increase convenience
• position yourself as a leader next to your competition - give a reason for customers to buy from you

Try to price your products or services according to their quality - you want to avoid under pricing them.


 Public relations on a budget
 You don't need to blow your budget to keep your business in the public eye. Even a cash-strapped business can use public relations (PR) effectively and reap the benefits.
When setting out to promote your business, it's important to be clear about what you want to achieve - for example, increased sales, increased visits to your website or more awareness of your product or service.
Some of the more cost-effective ways to promote your business can be to:

• make your business stand out - eg by offering a unique product or service, or by offering savings
• join relevant professional or social groups so you can network with other people
• tell people or write a press release if your business wins an award or contract
• specialize - you will be more attractive to customers if you are an expert in what you do
• promote yourself as an expert to local media, write an article or start a blog - see the page in this guide on how to use technology to reach your customers
• lead a trend or solve a problem that you have spotted
• volunteer to speak at meetings or seminars related to your field

If your budget allows, you could try these PR methods:

• relaunch your website, shop or product/service
• if you have a car or van, use vehicle branding or magnetic signs to advertise your business' phone number or website
• get involved in charity - offer to host an event on your premises and invite the media
• get involved with the community - try fundraising or offer your product or service as a competition prize
• survey your customers - get to know their needs and future wants

With a little time and creativity, you can create effective PR campaigns quickly and cheaply.

 

Use technology to reach your customers

When planning your marketing, look at how you're using technology. Are you getting the most out of what's currently available?

 

Email marketing

Traditional marketing methods - eg direct mail - are expensive and often wasteful. Email marketing can be a much more effective alternative, because e-newsletters are cheap - or free - to produce.
If your email subscriber database also contains demographic data, and/or information about buying habits, you can accurately target your messages to specific and relevant groups. For more information, including the legal considerations, see our guide on email marketing.

 

Text marketing

Text marketing - ie targeting customers using mobile phone SMS messages - can be a very powerful marketing tool when used appropriately.

 

Social networking

You can promote your business for free using social networking websites like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. If used well, these sites can also be an excellent tool for interacting with your existing customers and making new business contacts.

Internet blogs

If you're an expert in your field, think about sharing that expertise online. Offering advice or opinions on your own internet blog can be a fantastic way of promoting yourself and your business.
Blogs also tend to get high rankings from internet search engines, so having one can make it easier for potential customers to find out information about your business.

How to Whiten Yellowed White Clothes

Even if you follow all the rules on keeping white clothes white, they can still become yellowed over time. Yellowing quite often occurs on clothes that are stored improperly and react with the cardboard box or wooden shelves. So what to do?
The first step for washable clothes is to mix a solution of warm water and oxygen-based bleach (Oxibleach, Zonrox Color Safe Bleach). Submerge your white garments and allow them to soak for a day. Cover it with plastic and sealed. It is much effective if you will let it sit under the sun.
Then wash as usual, adding 1/2 cup distilled white vinegar to the rinse water.
If possible, dry the clothing outside in the sun. The ultraviolet rays of sunlight will help to whiten the clothes.
Chlorine bleach can be used on cotton fabrics. However, the overuse of chlorine bleach can actually cause clothes to yellow. Only use chlorine bleach if you are familiar with how to use it properly.